Checkered game board



(I'EGK'ERED4 GAME BOARD Filed Nov. 23. 1945 IUI/INH! lllllllll @Jia/'0605s.

Patented Oct. 5, 1,948

g UNITED i STATES PATENT OFFICE CHECKERED GAME BOARD I Charles Haven Hayes, Dearborn, Mich. Application November23, 1945, Serial No. 630,305

My invention relates comprises in general a playing board-.,onwhich opposing players: may manipulate 'their .play pieces in such a wayas to generally advance their play .pieces towards a goal and also eliminate the' Fig. 1 is a plan viewof the playing boardV embodying the principles of my novel game and illustrating same in connection with men or play pieces and showing the principles of play, certain of the board squares and of the play pieces being marked to indicate colors.

Figs. 2 and 3 are detailed sectional views taken respectively on the section lines 2 2 and 3 3 of Fig. 1.

My novel game is played on a playing board on which is pictured a plurality of unit play areas Il, preferably comprising a plurality of squares. While the playing board illustrated in the accompanying drawing comprises a board formed or divided into a plurality of squares numbering a total of 169, it is obvious that said -i unit play areas may be of other shapes and more or less in number.

A starting zone, one for each player is provided preferably in each corner, these zones having an indicated separation from the other squares on the board and being identified by reference characters lZa, |212, I2C and IZd respectively. Play pieces I 3a, |312, I 3c and i3d, preferably diiferent in color or shape are provided and each player is provided with a plurality of such play pieces, which are initially placed on a like number of unit play areas comprising their respective starting zone. An elimination area or pocket l is provided preferably in the center portion of the board and may comprise a cro-.ss or other shape of some predetermined area or size. The player at starting Zone ifa-has as his goal the play area la diagonally opposite and preferably at the other extreme corner, and thus the four goals 15a, lib, l5c and |502 lie respectively diagonally opposite the starting zones IZa,

to a game of skill andiciaim. v(cl. 27s- 131) aib, |20' and intermediate and substantially midway of the starting zone and the goal towards which the play pieces initially placed in the starting 'zone are moved. The elimination area may be merely marked on the board, or saidV board may be crut out as shown in the accompanying drawing. To

' accentuate the hazard to which men adjacent the elimination zone are subjected, certain of the.

squares in the vicinity of the elimination Zone are col-cred differently from the other playing area squares and from the starting zones. As shown in Fig. 1, such squares are marked to indicate the color red, and the other squares of the playing area are unmarked to indicate white, while'the squares -of the several starting zones are marked to indicate the color black.

The directions' or rules of play are as follows, and for convenience the play pieces are hereafter referred to as men and the play areas as squares; red, white or black as the case may be. Obviously, the various Acolors above referred to are selected merely as a matter of convenience and my invention is not limited to any particular or specific color, shape or arrangement, the accompanying drawing merely illustrating one preferred arrangement. For convenience I show eight black squares in each corner, each set of black squares comprising a starting zone, and each player has therefore eight men, which are placed in his eight black corner squares. The first player tomove one of his men across the playing board and into the opposite goal wins the game.

1. The players move in turn, wise of 'first player.

2. Each player in his turn may move his men one square in any direction except backwards.

3. Each player may jump his own or opponents men in all directions excepting backwards, stopping at his own discretion.Y l

4v. Each player may jump across the elimination zone directly across, if his man occupies a square next to said elimination zone. At center preferably clockcorner squares, the player may jump his man- 12d, and the elimination area lies` for, until he ends by jumping into the elimination Zone.

6. A player, on moving into the square next to an occupied goal, can order opponents man to jump from said goal when his turn comes, providing there is an unoccupied square to jump to. No player can force a player to jump unless by so doing he will jump into said elimination zone or jump out of the goal. Only the player bearing on another players man may orde-r the jump.

'7. In case a player is unable to move or jump, he forfeits his turn until he is able to continue.

8. If more than one opponent has a man bearing on a player ready to play, only t-he opponent next in turn has the right to require the player to jump.

9. A players man must be in the square next to that occupied by an opponent in order to bear on the opponents man.

Two, three or four players may play the game, and obviously the .principles of the invention may be incorporated in other arrangements suitable for two or more players, even in excess of four players if found desirable, and the starting Zones may be located in regions other than corners if so desired. The elimination zone, while preferably located in the center of the board may obviously be located at other regions, the purpose of said elimination being to set up a hazard to play and make possible the elimination of an opponents man, but obviously same is arranged in such a way as to facilitate interest in the game and -to require skillful play and planning on the part of all players.

Although I have illustrated but one form of my invention and have described in detail but a singleapplication thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which my invention pertains, that various modications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention or from the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A game board for use with two or more sets of several men each, each set of diierent colors. said game board having its surface divided into squares and having groups of several of said squares in two or more opposite corners of said board of an indicated separation from the other squares thereon, one of said squares in each of said group of squares being designated as a goal, and an elimination zone in an intermediate portion of lsaid game board and bounded on all sides by a plurality of squares, any of said men being Aretired from play when required to jump a man positioned in a square adjacent said elimination zone, said squares spaced from said elimination zone by a single square being differently colored to indicate danger since men positioned in such squares may be `forced to jump a man in adjacent squares and thence finto said elimination zone.

CHARLES HAVEN HAYES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 383,653 'Monks May 29, 1888 1,400,520 yBugenhagen Dec. 20, 1921 1,628,412 Lesavoy May 10, 1927 2,219,546 Petersen Oct. 29, 1940 

